


Day 9: Tea Shop

by airiustide



Series: Zutara Month 2017: Prompts [9]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Friendship, Romance, Tea
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-10
Updated: 2017-12-10
Packaged: 2019-02-13 06:17:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 684
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12977883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/airiustide/pseuds/airiustide
Summary: Zuko finally has the opportunity to give a good first impression to the young woman he's developed feelings for, for months.





	Day 9: Tea Shop

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender

"Sokka stop!" Zuko seen the young woman snatch her phone back from the boy's hand.

"What?! I was just texting Suki to see how far she is." Sokka argued.

"No! You were sending her dirty texts on my phone, you perv. Just because Dad refused to pay your cell phone bill for failing your courses."

"Come on, Katara, it was a harmless text. No need to get bent over it."

"You know what-" she was interrupted when Zuko approached the table.

"Uh, can I take your orders?" Zuko stammered, trying to contain the blush developing on his cheeks. He was aware of the siblings arguing but figured it was best to cut off their bickering before it got worse. He had hardly conversed with Katara. She had been a customer at his uncle's tea shop for two months. She was there twice a week, working on her studies from the college she attended nearby. Since her first visit, Zuko's eyes always followed her. At first, he was too embarrassed to approach her, his uncle being the one to always take her order.

Iroh was easy going and didn't have a problem initiating conversations with strangers. Katara always enjoyed his uncle's company, sometimes even inviting him to sit with her when the shop wasn't busy. Her laughter was sweet. Zuko couldn't help but be enchanted by her presence. If only he wasn't so hesitant in approaching her.

Now standing in front of her, her brother eyeing him suspiciously, he began to reconsider that choosing now to speak with her was probably not the best time. "Um…" he started, his palms sweating. "Should I c-come back then?"

Katara graced him with a smile and shook her head. "No, Zuko, it's fine." She knows his name!

"W-What can I get you?"

"Get me a bubble tea." Sokka announced, dismissing Katara's glare.

"Surprise me. I enjoy when your uncle makes me different teas to try."

"Sure!" Zuko beamed. He wrote down their orders and made haste to the back of the shop. His uncle had been carefully training him on how to make special brews and he definitely had one in mind that he thought would suit Katara.

Zuko made the siblings orders, striding to their table with pride swelling in his chest. He couldn't wait for Katara to try his tea. He would finally have an excuse to talk to her from here on out.

"Here you go." He laid Sokka's bubble tea in front of him, in which he eagerly swiped to consume the treat at rapid speed, and then gently sat the cup of tea on a saucer for Katara. "Enjoy."

Katara hesitantly brought the tea to her lips, quietly blowing away the steam floating from the cup and took a small sip. Her eyes widened, smacking her lips, and turned her attention to Zuko. "This is amazing."

He blushed, responding with a goofy grin.

"What's in this?" she asked, taking a longer sip.

"Oh, uh, it's actually something I threw together. Cinnamon, honey, orange zest-"

"Almonds?"

"Yeah! Actually it's-" Zuko stopped abruptly when he noticed Katara grab her throat and began to heave. Her brother jumped out of his seat, knocking the chair to the floor behind him and ran around the table to his sister. Sokka snatched her bookbag off the back of her chair and dumped the contents onto the table, grabbing an epipen, and quickly stabbing the injection in Katara's thigh. Zuko ran to her side, rubbing her back to ease her breathing.

The ambulance arrived twenty minutes later and all Zuko could do was stand by feeling like a complete idiot. He had served tea to the girl he was infatuated with and it turned out she was allergic to it. He groaned in frustration and placed his head in his hands. So much for first impressions.

A smack on his left shoulder startled the waiter. "Don't worry, my dude, she still likes ya." Sokka grinned, giving him a few more pats to the shoulder before turning to join his sister in the ambulance to be transported to the hospital.


End file.
